Of Another Fashion

An alternative archive of the not-quite-hidden but too often ignored fashion histories of U.S. women of color

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I found this Pan Am Airlines promotional photo (ca. 1956) in Christine Yano’s new book on the history of Nisei stewardesses called Airborne Dreams (Duke University Press, 2011). Yano argues that “Japanese American (and later other Asian and Asian American) stewardesses [as they were called in the 1950s] gave Pan Am the ‘look’ of exotic cosmopolitanism” while at the same time gave Asian American women “tremendous exposure to a larger world far beyond their local upbringing. Working for Pan Am as a flight attendant became an education for these women in cosmopolitanism and gendered service.”

The book is available for purchase now.

2 years ago 74 notes

Tagged with:  #Japanese American  #Asian American  #1950s

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  4. ivyandthewall reblogged this from ofanotherfashion and added:
    real pan am stewardesses
  5. awkwardlyhilarious reblogged this from ofanotherfashion and added:
    part of the reason why I haven’t decided if I will watch pan am. I think it would have been nice to see some Asian women...
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    remembered reading...a while ago and ever since I heard about
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    Very interesting. This Tumblr is so great.
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    will never, ever, ever get over how amazing it is to see women...retro clothing. How did...
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